This invention relates to fountain. pens, and is more particularly concerned with improved filling means.

Fountain pens have usually incorporated'moving parts in their lling means, and have usually relied upon a rubber sac or diaphragm, or some other means, to provide a-Water-tight receptacle for the ink. The rubber parts have a relatively short life, and the moving parts are apt to be broken or damaged even. when reasonably good care is exercised in the use of thepens, and, hence, expensive repairs or complete replacements are frequently necessary. It is, therefore, the principal object of my invention. to provide a fountain pen having no moving parts, one` that is adapted to be filled by thev application of heat to a heat absorbing means on the outer end of the barrel of the pen, using an ordinary match for that purpose or a cigarette lighten. whereby to expel air from the barrel and create a partial vacuum therein upon the cooling'of the heat absorbing means so as to draw in ink from al Well into which the pen point has been immersed.

The invention is illustrated in the: accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a longitudinal section throughY a fountain pen made in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional detail of the heat absorbing unit, and

Figs. 3 and 4 are, respectively, an end View and side View of said unit.

The same reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts throughout the views.

The barrel 5 of the fountain pen isY of any suitable material, and has the usual pen point 6 inserted in the one end thereof With a plug l. A metal bulb 8 is pressed into a counter-bore 9 in the rear end of the barrel 5, this being done preferably While the barrel 5 is heated, sov that the shrinkage incident to the subsequent cooling will make for a tighter joint at 9. The joint 9 may, furthermore. besu-itably cemented; to insurel a good seal. The bulb 8 is of any suitable"l non.- corrosive metal, or of a metal having a suitable non-corrosive coating or plating. The bulb 8 may, of course, be made of any suitable heat conducting material. Inserted in the closed end of the bulb 8 is a bushing I0, which I call an expansion unit or heat absorbing unit. This unit comprises a split metallic bushing Il, around which asbestos cloth l2 is wrapped and held in place at one end by the curling over and crimping of one end of the bushing Il, as indicated at I3. This split bushing wrapped with asbestos is compressed radially and entered in the open end Cil of the bulb and pushed to the closed end, where the inherent resilience of the metal in the bushing Il will afford suilicient frictional resistance to displacement of the unit from its proper position in the closed end of the bulb. The bushing II may also be made of any suitable heat conducting material. The proportions as to size are substantially as shown, but may 'be altered .to some extent Without departing from the invention.

In operation, when heat is applied to the metal bulb 8, the expansion or heat absorbing unit l0 is heated by conduction from the bulb directly to the asbestos, and from the bulb through the metal bushing Il to the asbestos, and this asbestos, moistened by inl:Y from a -previous filling, furnishes vapors when heated vvhich.` together with the expulsion of air due to expansion is sufficient to create in the barrel 5 a partial vacuum, when the bulb 8 cools off, so that ink will be drawn into the barrel, assuming that the pen point 6 has been inserted into an ink well or bottle for the lling. If the pen point is inserted` into the ink well or bottle at the time the heat is applied to the metal bulb, air bubbles vvillV be seen to rise from the pen point as `the heatl produces the pressure expelling, the air from the barrel and making room therein for anh equivalent amount of ink. There being no moving parts to get. out of order, it is obvious that pens made along these lines Will last indeni-tely. The bulb 8 will preferably be enclosedV by aremovable cap Ill of a plastic material. similar to that used in the barrel 5,` and this cap is removed only while the bulb is being heated andl it may be pressed into the bulb 8-, or, if desired, may be threaded on the end of the barrel 5. The other cap l5 for enclosing the pen point is of conventional design, and has the usual -clipf l5 thereon so as to hold the pen in the pocket with the point up.

It is'believed the foregoing descriptionA conveys a good understanding of the objectsv and advantages of my invention. The appended claims have been drawn to cover all legitimate modications and adaptations.

Iclaim:

l. In a. fountain pen comprising a barrel adapted to receive ink and having a Writing point on one end supplied with ink from the barrel, a thin-Walled metallic bulb on the other end of said barrel adapted to be heated by a llame, and a heat absorbing body in said bulb in heat conducting relation to the Wall thereof and adapted to absorb heat when the bulb is heated,

whereby to cause expulsion of air from the barrel so that ink may be drawn into the barrel to relieve the partial vacuum thus created in the barrel upon cooling of said bulb.

2. In a fountain pen comprising a barrel adapted to receive writing fluid and having a writing point on one end supplied with writing fluid from the barrel, and a uid absorber in the barrel, at least a portion of said barrel being of heat conducting material that is uninjured by the direct heat of the ame of a match, or the like, said heat conducting material being in heat conducting relation to said fluid absorber, whereby to heat the absorbed writing uid to the point of vaporization. y

3. In a lfountain pen comprising a barrel adapted to receive writing iluid and having a writing point on one end supplied with writing fluid from the barrel, a uid absorber inside the barrel at the opposite end from the writing point arranged to be wetted when the barrel contains Writing fluid, and means whereby whenv heat substantially equivalent to that of the name of a burning match, or the like is applied to the fluid absorber to heat the absorbed writing iiuid to the point of vaporization it will cause expulsion of air from the barrel, so that writing iluid will be drawn into the barrel to relieve the partial vacuum created in the barrel upon cooling thereof.

4. In a fountain pen devoid of mechanical filling means and comprising a barrel adapted to receive ink and havin-g a Writing point on one end supplied with ink `from the barrel, a hollow bulb of material having suitable heat conduc tivity on the other end of said barrel adapted to be heated lby a flame, and a device in said bulb adapted to absorb heat when the bulb is heated, whereby to cause expulsion of air from the barrel so that ink may be drawn into the barrel to relieve the partial vacuum thus created in the barrel upon cooling of said bulb, the device in said bulb including a wad of non-inflammable material, adapted to be moistened by ink and thus produce vapors when the bullo is heated to effect expulsion of air from the barrel.

5. In a fountain pen devoid of mechanical lling means and comprising a barrel adapted to receive ink and having a writing point on one end supplied with ink from the barrel, a hollow bulb of a material having suitable heat conductivity on the other end of said barrel adapted to be heated by a flame, and a device in said bulb adapted to absorb heat when the bulb is heated, whereby to cause expulsion of air from the barrel so that ink may be drawn into the barrel to relieve the partial vacuum thus created in the barrel upon cooling of said bulb, the device in said bulb including a wad of noninammable material adapted to be moistened by ink and thus produce vapors when the bulb is heated to effect expulsion of air from the barrel, said wad being supported on a part made of heat conducting material in heat conducting relation to the bulb.

- 6. In a fountain pen devoid of mechanical filling means and comprising a barrel adapted to receive ink and having a writing point on one end supplied with ink from the barrel, a hollow bulb of a material having suitable heat conductivity on the other end of said barrel adapted to be heated by a name, and a device in said bulb adapted to absorb heat when the bulb is heated, whereby to cause expulsion of air from the barrel so that ink may be drawn into the barrel to relieve the partial vacuum thus created in the barrel upon cooling of said bulb, the device in said bulb including a wad of non-inflammable material adapted to be moistened by ink and thus produce vapors when the bulb is heated to effect expulsion of air from the barrel, said Wad being supported on a part made of heat conducting material in heat conducting relation to the bulb, said heat conductive part being in the formI of a collar slidable with a close fit into the bulb.

7. In a fountain pen devoid of mechanical lling means and comprising a barrel adapted to receive ink and having a writing point on one end supplied with ink from the barrel, a hollow bulb of a material having suitable heat conductivity on the other end of said barrel adapted to be heated by a flame, and a device in said bulb adapted to absorb heat when the bulb is heated, whereby to cause expulsion of air from the barrel so that ink may be drawn into the barrel to relieve the partial vacuum thus created in the barrel upon cooling of said bulb, the device in said bulb including a wad of non-iniiammable material adapted to be moistened by ink and thus produce vapors when the bulb is heated to eiect expulsion of air from the barrel, said wad being supported on a part made of heat conducting material in heat conducting relation to the bulb, said heat conductive part being in the form of a split collar of spring material slidable with a close fit into the bulb, said collar ,being compressed radially for entry in the bulb and tending normally to expand so as to grip the inside Wall of said bulb resiliently.

` CARROLL W. PETERS.

REFERENCES CITED i The following references are of record in the le of this patent: